Documentary Films

A Return Home

Documentary Film Trailer

A RETURN HOME is a stark and intimate story of displacement and resilience. Journalist Nataliia Ruda, from Ukraine’s Donbas region, lost her home and village to Russia’s invasion. To tell the story of Ukrainians fleeing far from their homeland, she traveled to Ireland in search of fellow asylum seekers and refugees, each carrying their own story of loss and survival.

A chapter in ARRIVALS: What's Left Behind, What Lies Ahead, this documentary calls for reflection and empathy, revealing the profound human toll of war and the extraordinary strength of those uprooted and forced to rebuild.

Film Crew Credits

  • Andy Bale - Lead Photographer

  • Jennifer Blyth - Pianist

  • Jon Cox - Director

  • Tomáš Gulán - Audio Engineer

  • Ben Hemmings - Filmmaker and Cinematographer

  • Patrick Long - Composer

  • Patrick Oh - Audio Engineer and Sound Production

  • Nataliia Ruda - Field Producer and Main Character

  • Vadym Shapran - Film Editor

  • Music Score - Recorded in Rubendall Recital Hall, Dickinson College

Faces of the Arrivals:
What’s Left Behind, What Lies Ahead 

Documentary Film

Filmed and Edited by: Ben Hemmings
Collaborators: Stephanie Bacon, Andy Bale and Jon Cox

'Survival, resilience, and renewal are the common threads woven through the narrative of the human journey. ARRIVALS: What’s Left Behind, What Lies Ahead shares the compelling stories of refugee, immigrant, and Native American diasporas that are foundational to our culture and help us to create a shared future. The film relies on first-hand accounts from displaced people filmed in Boise, Idaho.